Welcome aboard and thank you for choosing Lao Airlines.
In recent times, our world has had to face the crisis of Covid-19. This problem has created large problems in livelihoods, the economy, and the lives of people throughout the world. All of the airlines in the world have been greatly affected, including Lao Airlines.
In any case, Lao Airlines is pleased to carry on flying domestically and getting you to your final destination safely. In addition to this, Lao Airlines is keenly focused on inspection and prevention of the spread of this illness in conjunction with the Government of the Lao PDR to stop the transmission of Covid-19.
On behalf of the board of directors and all of the staff of Lao Airlines, thank you for choosing us, as we are very experienced with international standards, and we are committed to serving you.
Safe travels.
With highest respect,
Bounma Chanthavongsa President & CEO of Lao Airlines
BOUNMA CHANTHAVONGSA
PRESIDENT & CEO OF LAO AIRLINES
Hello readers,
Welcome to the May-June issue of Champa Meuanglao. In this issue, we present new travel ideas in Laos and throughout the region.
Join us on an adventure to The Rock Viewpoint at Phou Pha Marn, a new zipline experience in Khammouane Province. Travel in the modern age with everything at your fingertips with Soutchai Travel’s comprehensive new mobile phone app.
Visit the jungles of Houaphan Province and help in the effort to protect Lao wildlife at the Nam-Et Phou Louey National Park. And learn about the true island paradises that await in Southern Laos.
And finally, are you brave enough to try popular Lao dishes made from weaver ant eggs?
Happy Reading!
The Champa Meuanglao Publishing Team
In light of the current Covid-19 situation throughout the world, please be aware that certain activities, festivals, sites, businesses, and events mentioned in this magazine may not be open and operating as planned. Do exercise good judgment, maintain safety precautions, and follow the directions of Lao authorities at all times.
ADVISORY BOARD
Bounma Chanthavongsa President
Somsamay Visounnarath
Vice President …– Technical, Operation & Training
Sengpraseuth Mathouchanh
Vice President – Planning, Cooperation & International Relations & Legislation
Leuangsamay Leuangvanxay
Vice President – Administration, Finance & Accounting
Rada Sunthorn
Vice President – Passenger Service, Cargo & Catering
Champa Meuanglao is published bi-monthly for Lao Airlines State Enterprise by RDK Group. The views and opinions expressed or implied in Champa Meuanglao do not necessarily reflect those of Lao Airlines State Enterprise or its publishing agents. All information in Champa Meuanglao is correct at time of printing. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher.
A traveler uses the Soutchai App to find her way around Photo by Pongpat "Lou" Sensouphone
WHAT'S ON?
Laos is full of colorful festivals and celebrations happening all the time. Stay up to date on events going on around the country and join in the fun!
MAY
NATIONWIDE
VISAKHA BOUXA
Commemorating the birth, first sermon, and passing into nirvana of the Buddha, this holiday also marks the beginning of the Buddhist calendar. Temples all over Laos will hold candlelight processions at dusk.
1. Rocket festivals are named using Lao numbers according to rocket sizes: meun (10,000), saen (100,000) and laan (1,000,000) – the largest rockets draw the largest crowds as well.
2. A secret homemade gunpowder mixture is tamped into the rocket before parading to the launching rack.
3. & 4. The annual festival in Vang Vieng is famous throughout the country.
MAY – JUNE
NATIONWIDE ROCKET FESTIVAL
Celebrate with locals as they call for rain just before the rice planting season. Homemade rockets are paraded through villages and launched into the sky to alert the gods to send rain. Expect a lot of music, beer, and plenty of merriment! Dates vary from location to location.
CAPITAL
Benny Omar navigates the movable feast of Vientiane Capital, a town of exciting cuisines and dining experiences, with everything from sizzling street fare, cafe cool, or fine dining gourmandise.
BACÁN CAFÉ
Bacán is one of Vientiane’s top eateries for excellent, authentic, and reasonably priced Chilean & Latin American dishes. The ambitious cuisine gets full points for creativity. You will find excellent customer service and food quality here. Make your way to Bacán Café for delicious ceviche, street-style quesadillas, empanadas, and tacos at decent prices. For vegan options, you’ll do well with Bacán tortillas served with grilled tofu.
Rue Samsenthai
Mon–Thur 7 am– 6 pm
Fri–Sat 8 am– 9 pm @BacanCafeVientiane
don't miss
Latin Mix (mechada, cheese quesadila, guacamole, pebre, homemade tortillas)
don't miss
Espresso Nyok Po Coffee
Mandala Boutique Hotel, Phiavat Hom 2
Mon–Sun 7 am – 4 pm @thesecretcafebyslow
CAFE
THE SECRET CAFÉ BY SLOW
The Secret Café by Slow boasts an outdoor patio area and a cosy indoor space with glass walls and modern set-up, a great place to catch up with friends for a coffee. The charming petite cafe has a great menu featuring finelybrewed coffee by Slow Forest Coffee from Bolaven Plateau in southern Laos and a menu featuring – laap burger, pomelo salad, and a selection of delicious pastries. Don't forget to get some coffee beans by Slow to take home with you.
Benny Omar is a food & travel blogger based in Vientiane. Visit his page online: facebook.com/vientianelifestyle
GALLERY 38
Gallery 38 is an intimate 40-seater cocktail haven helmed by an awardwinning mixologist from Thailand. This speakeasy serves enjoyable specialized cocktails that are very easy to drink. The head bartender has created a menu of drinks that includes signature cocktails, classics done right, and a constantly updating selection of seasonal cocktails inspired by local flavors.
Ban Xiengyuen
Mon–Sun 7 pm– 2 pm @gallery38.societyofdrinkers
don't miss
Lotus Times cocktail
BAR
LATIN
Same day delivery in the city
Delivery of online products
Delivery of goods
Taxi
COD
Invitation
MADE IN LAOS
Looking for the perfect memento from your trip to Laos? Whether shopping for souvenirs or sampling some delicious Lao snacks, Champa Meuanglao has chosen a few of the best local products.
RECYCLED UXO DROP EARRING
Make spoons not war. These earrings are part of our recycled metal collection, coming from Phonsavan. After the war villagers starting making spoons from recycled unexploded ordinance, now they used recycled metal to cast an array of items we can design.
75,000 LAK
Ma Té Sai
Ban Aphai, Luang Prabang matesai.com
BBL GANODERMA POWDER CAPSULES
BBL ganoderma powder capsules, made of wild ganoderma lucidum, originated from Laos’ primary forest, helps protect your liver health from excessive smoking and drinking, poor sleep, hypertension, high cholesterol, and diabetes.
PAKSONG GLORY
This black tea is made from the rare buds of 1500-year-old tea trees. The leaves create a full golden tea with sweet and smooth flavor. It helps regulate one’s temperature and helps detoxify the body.
5,220,000 LAK
36 Manor
IHC office, Building A, Floor1, Ban Donenokkhoum, Vientiane WeChat 微信: Y1445756178
MATSUTAKE WHISKEY
Rare Matsutake mushrooms are steeped in local spirits and believed to have medicinal properties.
120,000 LAK
Kualao Restaurant Rue Samsenthai, Vientiane kualaorestaurant.com
The Nam Et-Phou Louey National Park (NEPL) is located in the three northeastern provinces of Houaphan, Xieng Khouang, and Luang Prabang, and is the largest protected area in the country.
The NEPL is unique in its rich wildlife biodiversity, many of which are endangered, including six wild cat species, dhole, northern white-cheeked gibbon, Phayre’s langur, two bear species, binturongs, otters, hornbills, and numerous species of civets and other primates.
The Wildlife Conservation Society began supporting NEPL’s Management Unit in 2003 and has assisted with the development of ecotourism products since 2010. The national park tours are not only one of the few opportunities in Laos to spot wildlife in its natural habitat but are designed to support alternative livelihoods for local people and generate community support for wildlife conservation.
Most of the ecotourism service providers (guides, boatmen, cooks, etc) are from households that formerly relied on poaching and now currently work as wildlife spotters and protectors. To encourage conservation efforts, financial incentives are paid to the local people based on encounters with wildlife by visitors (including direct sightings and indirect observation such as animal calls, footprints, and scat). Greater incentives are provided for sightings of rarer species. All information collected on wildlife sightings and observations during the tours is recorded in a database and is further incorporated into the national park’s wildlife-monitoring program.
left: A trek through the cloud forest
1. Nam Et-Phou Louey National Park
2. Birdwatching at Nam Et-Phou Louey National Park
3. Blyth’s Kingfisher along the Nam Nern River
4. Visitor looking at the wildlife identification plate
THE NATIONAL PARK’S WILDLIFE TOURS
The Nam Nern Night Safari
The Nam Nern Night Safari is a 24-hour boat-based wildlife spotting tour. The trip highlight is nighttime wildlife spotlighting, looking for wild and endangered animals such as sambar deer, multiple species of civets, spotted linsang, Asian golden cat, leopard cat, pythons, while the long-tail boats drift down the Nam Nern River. A daytime boat trip upstream offers opportunities for birdwatching, including Blyth’s kingfishers, eared pitta, and red-collared woodpecker.
In 2013, the Nam Nern Night Safari won the World Responsible Tourism Award for Best Responsible Wildlife Experience. This year, the Nam Nern Night Safari celebrates its tenth birthday.
1. Local guide spotting wildlife on the Night Safari
2. Village guides are experts in the local area
3. A local lunch is ecological and delicious
4. Muntjac photographed on wildlife camera trap
5. Marks on trees show what kind of wildlife is nearby
6. Stay in a cozy bungalow
MORE INFO
To learn more about the Nam Et-Phou Louey National Park please visit namet.org
GETTING THERE
Lao Airlines has regular flights to Xieng Khouang from Vientiane and Luang Prabang. Nam Et-Phou Louey National Park headquarters is in Muang Hiam, a 200km drive north from Xieng Khouang.
WILDLIFE CONSERVATION TREKKING TOURS
Following the success of the Night Safari, the national park launched wildlife conservation trekking tours in 2016. These treks range from two to five days and offer a unique opportunity to feel like a field biologist while tracking and identifying wildlife along trails in one of the most important wildlife habitats of the national park.
Direct wildlife observations are rare on the trekking tours compared to the Night Safari tour, but lucky visitors can spot various civet species, giant flying squirrels, serow, muntjacs, sambar deer, macaques, and birds including silver pheasants and hornbills, as well as hear the beautiful morning calls of the critically endangered northern whitecheeked gibbons. Together with the park guide and village wildlife spotter (themselves a former poachers), analyze footprints, scratches, scat, and view camera trap images set along the trail, and you might find evidence of clouded leopard, dhole, or bears.
Challenge yourself on the longer itineraries with a trek up to the summit of Phou Louey the “Forever” Mountain (elevation 2257m) – the highest point of the National Park and the third highest summit in Laos!
FAST FACTS
• One of the first two national parks and the largest protected area in the Lao PDR
• A rare opportunity to spot wildlife in their natural habitat
• On the Night Safari, the average wildlife sightings per tour have increased from only 4 animals only in 2010 to 10 animals per tour in 2019
• Winner of the Best Responsible Wildlife Tourism Award in 2013 and 2014 at the World Responsible Tourism Awards
• The ecotourism program benefits a total of 26 villages, which represents almost 30% of all villages located in and around the National Park. Ethnic groups represented by these villagers are primarily Khmu and Hmong
NINGXIA FEISHENG
Electronic Information Technology Co.,Ltd.
A full-service information system provider offering software development, information system and network integration services, wiring and cabling, construction and maintenance, installation and maintenance of stage lighting equipment and sound equipment, import and export of goods and technology.
PHOTOGRAPHS BY PONGPAT "LOU" SENSOUPHONE / SOUTCHAI TRAVEL
The secret of business is finding a niche and filling it well. For Soutchai Travel, this means facilitating travel for a broad spectrum of clients in many locations. To this end, they have recently launched a new app that gives tourists access to travel services 24 hours a day.
Soutchai Travel grew out of humble origins in 2010 by founder Khen Vongthongchit. “Originally we only had Soutchai guesthouse in Pakse. We found that tourists often needed other services, so we developed Soutchai Travel as an in-house agency to fill the need,” Khen mentions. Over the past decade, he has worked hard to grow the company from a small single desk in Pakse and now boasts a busy head office in downtown Vientiane and branch offices in Vang Vieng, Luang Prabang, the 4000 Islands, and the original location in Pakse, now employing 125 employees. The company also owns a resort near a waterfall just outside of Vientiane offering overnight stays
In 2018, Khen noticed that more and more clients were becoming tech-savvy and with very little competition from any local online companies offering full services, he noticed a gap in the market. He and his team began work on an app to offer tourists the ability to book services from their own mobile phones with the utmost of convenience. After a full year of development and trials, the Soutchai Travel app was launched to the public in August 2019.
“The reception of the app has been very positive. Tourists love the ease and convenience of being able to book travel anytime they like without having to visit an office,” Khen stated.
The Soutchai Travel app has four primary functions: Bus and Train tickets, Accommodation, Activities, and Coupon and Discounts. “Clients really appreciate us taking away the headache and hassle of navigating unfamiliar bus stations and crossing the language barrier for them. On some of the bus routes, we even collect passengers at their hotels,” added Khen.
Accommodation allows bookings of participating hotels and guesthouses, while the Coupon and Discounts function offers special discounts for app users
A traveler uses the Soutchai App to find her way around
MORE INFO
Learn more about Soutchai Travel at their website: soutchaitravel. com and download the Soutchai Travel app in the App Store and Google Play.
1. Arriving in style with Soutchai Travel
2. The app interface is easy to use
3. Planning trips and meeting new friends
4. Khen Vongthongchit, founder and pioneer of Soutchai Travel
at many restaurants throughout the country. In Activities, guests can book tours and other things to do around Laos. As Soutchai Travel also serves the Lao market, they offer set departure join-in trip packages in the app to nearby Vietnam and Thailand, including hotels, meals, and return transportation!
Khen has plans to add a few more functionality in the future, including a mobile sim card service, so tourists can purchase a sim card in advance and have it ready for them on arrival in Laos. This will help travelers who can’t wait to begin posting their journey on social media. Also in the pipeline for the app is a car rental service, which offers the highest level of travel flexibility, allowing travelers to go and stop wherever they like.
Currently, the app is available in English and Lao languages, but there are plans to add Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, French, and Spanish. Tourists can even pay in the app with a credit card, the BCEL One app, and soon, through AliPay and WeChat Pay. This allows a maximum of flexibility and convenience for guests from any country to book and pay easily.
With the combination of functionality, convenience, and a passion for travel, the Soutchai app helps all guests create their perfect itinerary.
Remark: food seen here is displayed for commercial effect. Actual presentation and portion of dishes will vary.
The exotic taste of Laos.
TEXT BY ADITTA KITTIKHOUN
PHOTOGRAPH BY PHOONSAB THEVONGSA
We’ve all heard of minced meat salad laab (or its sliced meat equivalent koy), the quintessentially Lao salad dish made by mixing select meats and fresh vegetables tossed in fermented fish sauce and lime. Koy paa (fish salad) and koy ngoua (beef salad) tend to be popular on traditional Lao menus and serve as common introductions to Lao cuisine. But for the most daring taste buds, we recommend the exotic koy khai mot daeng, or weaver ant egg salad.
Koy khai mot daeng is your typical Lao salad featuring a melange of ants and their eggs. Because the ants feast on mango tree leaves, they emit a sour flavor. The eggs, however, are juicily fatty and mildly sweet. Local cooks typically season koy pa with weaver ants to give the dish a distinctively tart tang.
For a hygienic and delicious experience, we recommend trying the ant egg salad at Kualao Restaurant. Be sure to tailor the level of spiciness to suit your buds. These high-protein insect pupae are worth a try, if not for vinegary taste then for that priceless Instagrammable shot!
MEKONG KINGDOMS
TEXT BY CLAIRE BOOBBYER
PHOTOGRAPHS BY MEKONG KINGDOMS
MORE INFO
For more info or bookings visit mekongkingdoms.com
GETTING THERE
Lao Airlines has daily flights to Luang Prabang from Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Hanoi, Vientiane, and Siem Reap.
Mist wreathed the mountain tops like candy floss beards as we pulled away from the riverbank below the Royal Palace in Luang Prabang one late-year morning. The Monsoon, one of an elegant couple of boats from Mekong Kingdoms’ flotilla, nosed out into the Mekong flow as we headed on our downstream journey. We settled into the ample day beds, all taupe bases with lime green dividers and cushions colored in pops of tangerine, rose pink, and sunflower yellow. At
35 meters long, she’s a lean beauty, and fitted with huge, deep rectangular window frames for panoramic views and watching life on the river.
Looking back to the ancient former royal capital we spied the crowded glossy greenery which provides cover for temples and monks and shophouses and dreamy hotels but caught glimpses of raised roofs and stupas as our distance from the city grew. The golden glint of the stupa on Mount Phousi flashed in the morning sunlight like a lighthouse emitting signals to the faithful.
As the Luang Prabang peninsula disappeared from sight, and evidence of the taming of land and jungle for human life vanished, the river grew wider and its banks grew wilder. Towering chiseled limestone
karst, flanked by rampant forest, created a funnel. The air chilled. We zipped from side to side, in the wide chocolatey flow, and reached for pretty patterned blankets. Coffee and banana chips were served to keep us warm.
Deeper into our journey the shaggy trees of emerald, lime, and celadon green flecked with a mustard hue took on a more disheveled look and tangled vines appeared like a huge spider’s web. Then tiny slopes of riverbank and banana plant fronds appeared, evidence of locals managing to manicure slithers of ancient forest. It was a sign we were close to our landing point where a bulbous buffalo was sunk deep at the water’s edge, checking out his reflection in the water.
We were met by a tuk-tuk driver who drove us through villages festooned with poinsettia and past plots of paddy fields nourishing rice. We’d arrived at Laos’ famous Kouang Si Waterfalls before many of the crowds. Wandering past the informative exhibits at the Bear Rescue Sanctuary from Free the Bears we, like so many others before us, were completely startled by the bright blue water which lies at the base of the area’s many pools. Get there at the right time of day, and it still feels like discovering a secret Lost World. Snow white water falls over tiered rocks dressed in lush foliage. It’s all supremely picturesque and draws swimmers, photographers, hikers, and families on picnics who
left: The Nomad boat glides on the Mekong
1. Canapes and champagne make for a perfect cruise in the cozy Nomad boat
2. Guests relaxing on the Monsoon boat
3. The Monsoon boat heading out to catch the sunset
can’t get enough of the blue hue of the cascading pools – said to be due to a magical combination of sunlight reflecting off water in the terraces layered with calcium carbonate.
After a hike to the top of the main falls and down the other side we were hungry for lunch. It was prepared for us on board the Monsoon: a salad of quail eggs on a baguette was followed by piles of bright mango, pink dragonfruit, and melon. After our fill, we returned to the day beds, which held greater appeal on the return journey. We found ourselves lulled into a snooze by the movement of the boat, the warmth of the sun, the memory of the falls, and the small pirogues puttering about midstream.
1. The swanky Play boat is perfect for working and playing
2. Champagne from Play's full bar
3. A bar with a view on the Play boat
4. The rear lounge on Play is glassed in and air-conditioned
Bangkok’s most stylish Lao restaurant leaving tongues wagging.
TEXT BY VANIDA PHIMPHRACHANH & JASON ROLAN
PHOTOGRAPHS BY FUNKY LAM / CAMILLA DAVIDSSON
Funky Lam Kitchen is an inspiring modern-retro Lao pop-up restaurant in Bangkok’s Thonglor district launched by Sanya Souvanna Phouma and Saya Na Champasak and is leading the way in the city’s culinary scene. Growing up in Laos, they inherited the rich cooking tradition of the country, which they have gone on to develop, enhance, and reinvent – with a dash of funk and fun, like electrified twangs of popular molam music. Patrons, often familiar with food from Thailand’s northeastern Isan region, do not always realize that staples such as fiery papaya salad, herb-infused mincemeat laap, and sticky rice actually entered the area from Laos.
above: For the wine list, Veronica Saurus created an illustration based on a Lao record from the 1960s. Inside there is even a real vinyl record.
The space is decorated by Philippe Bramaz of Pagoda & Co, a furniture design outfit, and Veronica Guarino, an illustrator known as Veronosaurus. Veronica handpainted bamboo curtains imported from Laos with illustrations of vintage shop signs of a hairdresser, a dentist, and a record shop inspired from signs that once hung in the streets of Vientiane and Luang Prabang in the 1950s and 1960s. Veronica explains that “before printing technology was widespread and accessible, people used to hire artists to paint signs over their shops with literal depictions of what they sold or what service they offered.” She also painted the 8-meter crocodile seen across the window shades, which was inspired by Lao folklore beliefs that they are guardian spirits of the lakes and waterways.
right: Traditional Lao food served with a modern twist
In blending the old and new in unique ways, at Funky Lam Kitchen you can find the iconic Pou Nyeu and Nya Nyeu ancestor spirits of Luang Prabang around a ping kai grilled chicken served with a padaek fermented fish sauce guacamole. The mini cleavers often used in cooking are here to cut the chicken before serving so that the Lao meal is easy to share with the table. Here, as in traditional Lao cuisine, the fingers are used to ball up sticky rice and grab, dip, and spread, along with khai phen, deepfried Mekong river weed.
1. A replica of a Lao tailor shop sign from an bygone era
2. The red neon sign brings a retro feel
3. Luang Prabang ancestor spirits decorating the table
(Photo 2 & 3 by Camilla Davidsson camilladavidsson.com)
left: An 8-meter crocodile from Lao legend across the restaurant's bamboo blinds
Funky Lam pops up nightly inside Luka Moto cafe from 18:00–23:00. Enjoy the creative visual references to Laos, from the curly font of the red neon Funky Lam sign and chair covers sporting Lao characters. For Sanya, the reasoning to fit a modern-retro Lao restaurant inside of a vintage motorbike cafe, he just quotes Anthony Bourdain “Motorbike: the only way to see this part of the world. The thick, unmoving air. The smell past rice paddies. Water buffalo. What feels like another century. Laos is the kind of place that can easily capture your heart and not let you go.”
MORE INFO
Funky Lam Kitchen is located on Thonglor Soi 11 in Bangkok funkylamkitchen.com
Other inspiring places curated by Sanya: Maggie Choo, Sing Sing, Cactus, and Siri House. Saya has launched the first Thai food delivery service in Paris, Thai At Home
1. A full spread at Funky Lam 2. Chairs adorned with letters from the Lao alphabet
The
perfect encounter between primitive and pure
VIEWPOINT ROCK PHOU
PHOTOGRAPHS BY PHOONSAB THEVONGSA
TEXT BY JASON ROLAN
Previously only a quick stopover and photo op on Khammouane’s famous loop, Phou Pha Marn has now been sustainably revamped by Green Discovery to allow visitors the opportunity to get closer to these unique limestone crags. Now rebranded as The Rock Viewpoint at Phou Pha Marn, and sporting a breezy modern branch of the famous Khop Chai Deu restaurant, the area is now becoming very well known for the easy zipline and via ferrata course set among the karsts.
1. Ziplines are hung between limestone cliffs. Here a tourist glides along the zipline, taking in the spectacular aerial views.
2. Moving from base to base, visitors are suspended several hundred meters above the valley floor.
3. Several suspension bridges are also used to traverse between the mountains, offering unparalleled views of limestone landscapes.
4. Safety is a top priority at The Rock Viewpoint at Phou Pha Marn, so guests must wear a helmet, gloves, and also remain clipped to a support wire.
Unique to Laos is The Rock Viewpoint’s spectacular spider web bridge
1. This area is a National Protected Area with unique flora to enjoy. In the early mornings, there is even a chance to spot dusky langurs moving about the rocks.
2. An aerial photo of the final base of the course offers a good view of the spider web bridge, as well.
3. The Rock Viewpoint at Phou Pha Marn has a sunset option for late afternoon visits when the golden rays of sunshine offer even more spectacular photos of the area.
RHUM DEAL
A new entrant on the Lao beverage scene is truly top shelf.
TEXT BY MELODY KEMP PHOTOGRAPHS BY PHOONSAB THEVONGSA
avove: Wooden casks give flavor to the rhum
1. Crushed sugarcane stalks are used to power other parts of the factory
2. Sugarcane growing near the factory
3. The range of LAODI products
4. Distilling equipment at LAODI
Agroup of cows came trotting up the road towards us. They all looked remarkably sober, so I surmised we were still short of our target: the LAODI distillery, makers of rhum. I was right. We had another half hour’s travel ahead.
We arrived just before our host, Ms. Anna Sichanthavong, an engaging woman who took obvious delight in showing us how their elixir is made. A Filipino family had accompanied her. They revealed they were collectors, and the patriarch was realizing his long-held ambition of having a set of LAODI bottles, I assume along with their contents.
“I have over 4000 bottles,” he announced. “So who dusts them?” I asked. “Me, I don’t trust anyone else,” he replied. Is rhum the same as rum? It’s a special variety. Normal rum is made from fermenting molasses, while rhum is produced from sugar cane juice, yielding a lighter flavor. The distillery itself is quite diminutive for a place that churns out so much really excellent rhum, and in this age of environmental awareness, they are proud of the fact that the whole process is eco-friendly. No agricultural chemicals are used and the bagasse, or residue of the crushing, is dried and used to fire the machinery, reducing the need for fossil fuels. Water from the nearby Mekong River ensures that the sugar crop is not contaminated with salt. Enter Ikozu Inoue, with his wonderfully wizened laughter and exacting enthusiasm for the products of the distillery. In 2016 after being inspired by the local Lao hooch, Inoue saw the possibilities of using
the tradition and skills used in producing lao lao or lao khao. But being a man who enjoys challenges, he saw the desirability of taking that process a few steps further. His first product was the classic white rhum which takes six to twelve months to mature. Later by changing and balancing the ingredients, LAODI now produces a range of rich multi-layered rhums with quintessentially Asian flavors, such as coconut, passionfruit, and coffee.
After a few experiments, LAODI rhum came to fruition but not finalization. Inoue is not yet finished. The innovation goes on.
Inoue established LAODI as the materialization of his many dreams of brewing. The company continues to be innovative. Some of those works in progress were available to taste, while another sits simmering in a wooden barrel under close scrutiny.
Being sugar-based, I thought that the liquor would be too sweet for my taste. After a few small glasses, I can attest to the fact that the balance is just right. The name suits. It is called LAODI (good Lao) as it is very tasty.
Lao tradition has not been entirely abandoned. A tour of the distillery reveals signature lines of clay jars sealed with cotton fabric used to mature the traditional Lao drink. They have not eschewed that tradition, but are instead refining it.
He maintains his role as a part-time teacher at Japan’s Fukuyama University while establishing a Brewing Training
GETTING THERE
The Distillery is a 1.5 hour trip out of Vientiane through farm and industrial landscapes and rural markets. A tour lasts about an hour and is free, at the moment.
MORE INFO
You can organize a visit through their Facebook page: facebook.com/rhumlaodi
Or visit their sunset bar on Vientiane’s riverside near the Mekong River Commission: facebook.com/rumlaodi
Center at the LAODI distillery in Laos. The Lao staff assist in manufacturing, experimenting, managing, and monitoring. A set of thermometers nestling in a blue velvet lined box indicated the necessity of controlling the process all the way through.
As with wine, the flavor is enhanced by its period of rest in a wooden barrel. The barrel room was redolent with the smell of the old wood, bringing with them memories of bourbon, pinot noir, and cabernets, while a solitary barrel sat bathed in soft blue light as a tribute perhaps to Bacchus.
Of course, no tour is complete without a tasting. Anna was pleased to offer us some samples. We tried the experimental brews served from a counter that displayed the many prizes already won by this remarkable young enterprise. Then we retired to the garden to taste the well-established styles. Wow! I came away with three bottles to sip as the sun sinks into the Mekong.
All sales go towards expanding and sustaining this company and continuing to employ local people.
@ Flagship Store (Behind WatOngTeu-VTE) @ Settha Palace (VTE)
@ toineinbangkok (SO Sofitel BKK)
@ Café Mademoiselle (Alliance Française-BKK)
GROWING
RELATIONSHIPS
Sometimes the best things are found where you least expect them.
BY FRANCIS SAVANKHAM
After the discovery of the Americas, many products were transferred between the old and new worlds. One of the goods with the longest-lasting legacy is tobacco. Making their way to Southeast Asia on trade ships, the plant took root and became a popular cash crop in areas with ideal soil and rainfall, conditions which were embodied by the Mekong river basin of central Laos.
At the forefront of this legacy, stands Deputy Managing Director of Lao Tobacco Limited, Khamphoumy Keophengsy. Mr. Khamphoumy studied economics in Russia in the 1980s and has been working with Lao Tobacco Company, originally as a leaf technician and now as Deputy Managing Director of HR and Leaf Growing, tells us of the industry’s history.
Throughout its history in Laos, smallholder farms had been growing the plants for personal use and in rituals. The smoke also proved to be an enormously effective repellent against insects, which greatly aided farmers as they worked in the fields, especially during the monsoon season. Commercial farming of tobacco was introduced in the 1950s by the French, which helped build it into an export commodity.
Soon after, the country’s first tobacco company, Bolisat Yasoub Lao, was established by a Chinese businessman in 1958. This remained the only tobacco company through the war years. In 1981,
the company was rebranded as Lao Tobacco Company. It was at this time that it began experimenting with different mixtures of locally grown and imported tobacco, creating several trademarked varieties of products.
A great leap forward was achieved in 2001, when the company became a joint venture between the Lao Government and Coralma International (France) and S3T (Singapore), with the primary focus being to lift rural farmers out of poverty by growing successful cash crops.
Mr. Khamphoumy tells us that twenty years ago, there were approximately 300 families producing 600 tonnes of tobacco per year. Today, country’s entire output has grown fivefold with Lao Tobacco on track to purchasing 1700 tons alone, supporting many local farming famlies in the process.
“We have built very supportive and strong relationships with the best farmers in Laos across eight different provinces,” Mr. Khamphoumy continues.
“They now produce the best tobacco here, so we no longer have to import it from elsewhere.”
LAO THE FOUNDATION
FOOD
Reconnecting through food.
TEXT &
PHOTOGRAPHS
BY MICK SHIPPEN
above: Participants from America and Laos at gathered for the first Lao Food Foundation event in Luang Prabang
1. Chef Seng Luangrath, flying the flag for Lao cuisine in America
2. Noi Kaewduangdy and Chef Deth Khaiaphone buying food in Luang Prabang’s morning market
The shared experience of preparing food and eating together binds us like no other. It is an essential part of our most joyous celebrations, and when friends and family are reunited. Relationships begin over candlelit dinners; the spurned placate themselves with indulgent sweet treats. Food is also the touchstone of comfort and culture for migrants finding their place in new lands. Many, of course, open restaurants, introducing us to exciting new ingredients, vibrant flavors, and ways of eating.
Interestingly, the wave of migrants that left Laos for America in the late 70s and early 80s kept their kitchen secrets to themselves. At the time, little was known about landlocked Laos, let alone its cuisine, so those with a talent for cooking opened Thai restaurants in their new homeland. Fast-forward a few decades and it’s true to say there has been a culinary and cultural
awakening within America’s Lao community. As a popular hashtag declares, they are #laoandproud and determined to spread the word about the country’s distinctive and delicious food.
One of the first to emerge was Chef Seng Luangrath. Seng always had a passion for cooking, a skill she learned at a tender age in a refugee camp at Nakhon Phanom, Thailand. However, it wasn’t until 2010, encouraged by friends and family, that she opened the Thai restaurant Bangkok Golden in Washington DC. Despite its success, Seng hungered to shine the spotlight on her own cuisine. She felt that the time was right. People were more well-traveled and open to new food experiences. What’s more, an emerging generation of Lao-Americans was striving to assert their identity. And what better way than through food?
Seng started the Lao Food Movement with the aim of educating Americans who want to learn more about the country and its cuisine. Using social media as its window to the world, it now has more than 17,000 followers on Instagram. More importantly for Seng personally, however,
was the decision to reinvent her restaurant from “Bangkok Golden” to “Padaek” and introduce a menu of Lao food.
Another key moment came last year when Seng met up with Channapha Khamvongsa, an inspirational figure who founded Legacies of War, a Washington D.C.-based non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to raising awareness about the history and ongoing effects of the Vietnam War-era bombings in Laos through the use of art, culture, education, and advocacy. Channapha was looking for a new challenge and seized the opportunity of a growing community of passionate, knowledgeable people in Laos and abroad to organize this retreat. Seng and Channapha wanted participants to exchange ideas about the valuable role of Lao food in the lives, culture, and economy of Laotian people everywhere.
In February 2020, chefs and leading figures committed to promoting and preserving Lao cuisine gathered in Luang Prabang for the inaugural event, the Lao Food Foundation Retreat. Over seven days, Lao-Americans and locals joined lively discussions, made field trips to farm and food producers, and cooked and dined in restaurants.
Key members of the foundation include Dr. Phitsamay Sychitkokhong Uy, associate professor at the College of Education and co-director of the Center for Asian American Studies at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell. She is also the co-founding director of the Southeast Asian Digital Archive and a research fellow at the Asian American and Pacific Islander
Research Coalition (ARC). Also on the academic side is Dr. Liza Cariaga-Lo, one of the Lao Food Foundation retreat sponsors and the CEO and Founder of The LCLO Group, which is seeding initiatives in SE Asia focused on the future of work, including Laos. Liza, who is currently completing work on a book about the identity development of Asian Americans, said of the retreat, “Our aim is to support and document the leadership and scholarship in the nascent field of Lao foodways – the how, who, where, why, and when Lao food is prepared.”
Of course, a food retreat would be nothing without chefs. The line-up included Chef Soulayphet ‘Phet’ Schwader, the chef/owner of the critically-acclaimed Khe-Yo in TriBeCa, New York, a restaurant renowned for showcasing modern Lao cuisine, Chef Ann Ahmed, chef/owner of the
award-winning Lat14 and Lemongrass restaurants in Minnesota, and Chef Deth Khaiaphone who was born in Savannakhet but grew up in San Diego, California. Deth, a consultant for a high-caliber restaurant group in Washington, DC, says "I feel privileged to have grown up influenced by mom and dad, my first cooking teachers, and learn the ethos of lieng, to offer nourishment. Today, I seek to honor the traditions of Lao cuisine while still incorporating modern influences.” Itsara Ounnarath, a retired US Army veteran who established White Tiger Distillery in Forest Hill, Maryland, the only distillery making Lao-style whiskey in the United States, brought his enthusiasm and a bottle of his award-winning whiskey for everyone to try. There were also younger names from Instagram and Youtube channels including Ava Bruin from ‘Cooking Out Lao’ and Saeng Douangdara of ‘I Am Saeng’, both from Los Angeles, with a combined 30,000 social media followers.
On the home front, was Ponpailin ‘Noi’ Kaewduangdy, the owner and chef at Doi Ka Noi restaurant in Vientiane, and her key team member Teh Kaewsuwan. She grew up in a rural subsistence farming community in Khammouane province and inherited her incredible culinary repertoire and knowledge from her grandmother. Noi expanded the visitors’ understanding of Lao cuisine with a fascinating slide show and talk about the numerous foraged and unusual ingredients she uses at her restaurant. Other key participants included the chefs and owners from Vanvisa at the Falls, Kualao, Lao Derm, Le Padaek, Bamboo Tree, Tamarind, Ock Pop Tok, and Panyanivej Organic Farm.
There were many highlights at the Luang Prabang retreat but those that stand out most include a visit to a riverside village to see khai phen river weed being harvested, processed and made into sheets, a fantastic lunch at Luang Prabang
1. Traditional northern Lao dishes served at Vanvisa at the Falls
2. Dr. Phitsamay Sychitkokhong Uy interviewing Teh Kaewsuwan from Doi Ka Noi about Lao food and culture
3. Sheets of khai phen river weed drying in the sun
4. Chef ‘Phet’ Schwader from Khe-Yo, New York
MORE INFO
The Lao Food Foundation: Instagram: @laofoodfoundation
Lao Food Movement: Instagram: @laofoodmovement
Luang Prabang Bio Bamboo: luangprabang-biobamboo.com
Doi Ka Noi restaurant: Facebook: DoiKaNoi / Instagram: @doikanoi
Khe-Yo restaurant: kheyo.com / Instagram: @khe-yo on
Cooking Out Lao: Instagram: @cookingoutlao
Saeng Douangdara: Instagram: @iamsaeng
White Tiger Distillery: wtigerd.com
The Lao Food Retreats outstanding itinerary was organized by Volun Tour Laos: voluntourlaos.com
Bio Bamboo that included 14 distinctly different dishes made from bamboo, and a dinner of Doi Ka Noi's fresh, seasonal cuisine cooked by Noi with the assistance of visiting chefs for attendees and invited guests including Mr. Peter Haymond, the new US ambassador to Laos and his wife, Dusadee.
In all, more than 20 attendees at Lao Food Foundation had fun, informative, and inspirational experiences in Luang Prabang. Connections were made, friendships were formed, and everyone was left hungry for more.
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MICK SHIPPEN
THE SECRET LIVES OF ISLANDS
TEXT BY ROSEMARY MURPHY & BOUN SAIYAVONG PHOTOGRAPHS BY SWISSCONTACT / BART VERWEIJ
Photo: Sommith Punyathone
Tropical islands are curious places, symbolizing for many the ultimate escape – abandoning everyday life for lush, sun-drenched, exotic surreality. For a landlocked country, Laos is surprisingly rich in islands. In the south, the Mekong swells to 14km wide, revealing a riverine archipelago, the Si Phan Don, or 4000 Islands. Only a few are inhabited, and 4000 may not be entirely accurate. But from my riverside table in Paradise, a restaurant on Don Det serving a spicy fish soup, fragrant with lemongrass and fresh pineapple, I count 8, ranging from the minute, essentially just big rocks, to those large enough to host several villages.
I’ve visited Don Khone and Don Det, the most popular tourist destinations, several times now and keep returning. I love the ease of getting here, enjoying entire days outdoors, and becoming a regular at my favorite cafés (try Chez Fred and Lea and Somphamit Guesthouse). And I love cycling the breezy trails tracing the islands’ perimeters. The narrow, well-worn routes are like a portal back to childhood, exploring pine-needled paths in the woods of Nova Scotia. In Si Phan Don, the sandy paths are bordered by palm trees, and fragrant with tropical flowers, mango, jackfruit, and tamarind trees, but the feeling is the same; an easy, almost blissful state, marveling at each little wonder encountered en route.
Helpful cycling maps, posted on the islands and easily downloaded, illustrate the available routes, marking guesthouses, restaurants, and attractions –where to catch the boat to see endangered Irrawaddy dolphins, the best views, swimming spots, and which paths are shaded or not – crucial information when the sun hits full strength. There is always a spot nearby to rehydrate with a fresh coconut and should you encounter bike trouble, someone is always happy to help. My advice? Test out a few different bicycles – there are many on offer for as little as 10,000 kip per day. Rent your bike for several days at a time, avoiding the hassle of returning it each night or hustling to claim it again the next morning. Hop on and relax, following well-worn laneways through sleepy villages of stilted houses and tidy kitchen gardens, past the rice fields, and through dense jungle with leaves bigger than your head and vines like boa constrictors. You’ll encounter chickens, cows, buffalo, dogs, tuk-tuks and motorbikes, perhaps a mobile Lao party blasting traditional music; but no cars, no ATMs. Too hot? Head for the shade huts at Li Phi Falls. Stretch out on colorful mats, sip a fruit shake, grab a bite, and dart down to the gold-flecked sandy beach for a dip. Settle yourself somewhere lovely for sunset.
Cycling along the Mekong on Don Det with Don Khone bungalows visible across the river
The sky explodes in color: fiery oranges, pinks, and mauves mirrored in the water where children splash and bathe as their parents wash clothes in the river.
The Mekong is the lifeblood of the archipelago; the source of food and livelihoods, the means of transportation and connection, but it also defines the island’s limits. Island life is a closed loop – the ultimate microcosm – one becomes keenly aware of self-sufficiency, and its opposite. Just as anything not produced on the island must be brought in by boat, anything that can’t be consumed or reused must be shipped out again. Where potable water doesn’t flow from taps, plastic bottles are ubiquitous, so it’s heartening to see free water bottle refill stations popping up. So far, 14 hotels and restaurants have set up stations as part of Southern Laos’ Refill Not Landfill campaign. Here’s hoping they inspire everyone to carry reusable bottles and help preserve the 4000 Island’s Arcadian charm.
If you wish to delve deeper into everyday life on a real tropical island, I highly recommend the half-day River Life Experience tour ($50/person). Weaving our way upriver between islands, 40-minutes fly by as our guide, Mr. Jay, describes life on Don Loppardi, our destination. We disembark at Nakhone Noi, one of the island’s main villages, greeted by colorful stupas and energetic children. Mr. Jay leads us through the tranquil temple grounds explaining tasks assigned to novices like the saffron-bundled
GETTING THERE
Lao Airlines has regular flights to Pakse from Vientiane, Luang Prabang, and Bangkok. Nakasong is located 144km south of Pakse. Buses depart daily from Pakse to Nakasong. Taxis are available through many travel companies in Pakse. In Nakasong, boat taxis depart for Don Det and Don Khone and tickets can be purchased at the pier.
boy napping in the shade. We continue our way through the village, encountering several unique characters in the colorful, close-knit community. The village chief plays electric piano outside a shop offering everything from construction materials to buffalo skin jerky. Mr. Air explains the alchemical trick of turning sticky rice into potent but surprisingly smooth Lao Lao whiskey with samples given! Mama Bounmee, deftly weaves complex and colorful sticky rice baskets, while conversing and directing activity, rarely glancing at the bamboo strips in her expert hands. She slows down so I can attempt weaving a few bands too. And I finally learn how to cook sticky rice, tossing the glutinous grains in their elegant steamer basket.
We return to water’s edge to try traditional fishing techniques; tossing handmade gill nets weighted with chains and cleaned to near-invisible with fermented tamarind shells. We even catch a baby pufferfish! Digestion primed with a few shots of Lao Lao whiskey, we feast on barbecued fish, including a few tiny ones we’d plucked from the river, the sticky rice we made, and spicy papaya salad. I asked Mr. Jay, whose thoughtful interpretation added so much to our experience, what was most meaningful to him about island life, he responded immediately, “number one for me, seeing the way of living of the local people. They make so many things for themselves from nature, their skill is amazing.” Heading back downriver, I feel exceptionally lucky to have had such genuine and illuminating encounters with the very real people living their everyday lives on the islands of our tropical fantasies.
MORE INFO
Find Southern Laos’ refill sites at refilltheworld.com or get the RefillMyBottle app
Download 4000 Island’s cycling maps at southern-laos.com
The River Life Experience directly compensates the villagers for their time and expertise, and can be booked by contacting Green Paradise (with Mr. Jay), at greenparadisetours99@gmail.com, phone: (856-31) 214 842, mobile: (856-20) 9953 3939, or Wonderful Tours at (+856 (0) 20 9759 8666).
Scan the qr code for more info
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1. The French Bridge linking Don Det and Don Khone
2. Hammocks overlooking the Mekong at Don Det tourist bungalows
Mama Bounmee demonstrates how to cook sticky rice, Don Loppardi
Mr Jay, tour guide, and Mr. Serm, boat man with Green Paradise
Mekong Puffer Fish, aka Pignose Pufferfish or Arrowhead Pufferfish
